Today Mike wrote a review for The Pursuit of Happyness. It’s the last Snobs review of 2006, and a great movie to start your new year with an optimistic view. Here’s a sample of what Mike thought:

“I walk away with this movie, thinking about the most memorable line, which we all have seen in the trailers. “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something.” He not only taught it to his son, but he taught it to everyone watching the movie, as well.”

Today Mike wrote a review for The Pursuit of Happyness. It’s the last Snobs review of 2006, and a great movie to start your new year with an optimistic view. Here’s a sample of what Mike thought:

“I walk away with this movie, thinking about the most memorable line, which we all have seen in the trailers. “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something.” He not only taught it to his son, but he taught it to everyone watching the movie, as well.”

It’s no secret that if you want to make a movie that’ll make money, you need a big star. And these days, there’s no bigger star than Will Smith. His movies always make money, and always draw a crowd. Why? Simple. He’s one of the most talented actors of this generation. People adore him for who he is, how they can relate to him, and how he makes people think.

The Pursuit of Happyness is no different. Based on a true story that makes you feel bad for the character he’s playing, yet pray that in the end, he’ll come out on top. Smith portrays Chris Gardner, a just-about-poor father, who has his wife leave him, because she can’t handle not being financially secure. While Chris is selling medical equiptment to doctors (or lack of selling, rather), she decides that she’d rather move to New York, in hopes of a better life. Chris decides to stick it out, and fight for what he knows he can do, for him, and for his son (played by real life son Jaden).

Chris takes a non-paid internship at Dean Witter, a brokerage firm, who only accepts one broker every six months from a group of 20 interns. The internship has Chris running ragged, staying at various homeless shelters, scrounging for change, and savoring every last dollar he has. That doesn’t affect his attitude, or how he thinks the outcome will happen. He stays positive, and does his best to survive. It’s a true lesson for all of us. I kept thinking to myself “Damn, if this guy got handed any more lemons, his lemonade stand would be huge.”

The old addage of “when life gives you lemons, make lemonade” is definitely the story of Chris Gardner’s life. If this weren’t based on a true story, you’d have to think that the writers of this movie sat and thought about every horrible, bad thing that could happen to one human being, and wrote them all into the script. It’s tough to imagine that anyone could go through all of these horrible things, and still come out with a positive attitude.

Smith (both of them) give stellar performances. While we’ve come to expect this of Will Smith, his son Jaden is so adorable, you just can’t help but love him. Could it have been easier to act, because he was acting opposite his real life father? Maybe. That’s not my call to make. All I can say, is that the kid is damn adorable. Thandie Newton (Crash, ER) does an incredible job of being the bitchy mother in the movie. You seriously want to hate her, and just tell her to shut the hell up. She plays the role brilliantly, and you instantly hate her.

I walk away with this movie, thinking about the most memorable line, which we all have seen in the trailers. “Don’t let anyone tell you that you can’t do something.” He not only taught it to his son, but he taught it to everyone watching the movie, as well.

Though the movie itself felt slow at times, it was still worth seeing, worth experiencing. Will Smith is downright brilliant. Jaden Smith is adorable. The story is moving. The outcome is happy. Am I angry that the title is “The Pursuit of Happyness”? Yes. Do I hate misspelled things? Yes. Is there a reason it’s misspelled? Yes, there is. It makes sense, and is explained early in the movie. So, I hate it less now.

It you like Will Smith’s previous dramatic roles, or enjoy a great true-life story of happiness (not happyness), you’ll absolutely love this movie. It will move you. It may even make you cry. Either way, you’ll leave the theater with a smile on your face, and warmth in your heart.

“I was torn while watching this movie. I wanted to love it, because I enjoy Zach Braff, but I was also skeptical, since I disliked Garden State so much. In the end I liked this movie WAY better than I liked Garden State. Zach Braff plays Michael – a man who’s on the brink of turning 30, with a pregnant girlfriend, an awesome job, and great friends.”

Yesterday links starting floating around the internet to the movie trailer for Ocean’s 13. Being a HUGE Ocean’s Eleven fan (both the Clooney version and the Sinatra version), I’m psyched for this movie. The trailer doesn’t give you much, but it does show a very exciting twist in the story. Enjoy!

3. I generally hate movies in which the plot revolves around one character cheating on another, or even contemplating cheating on another.

I was torn while watching this movie. I wanted to love it, because I enjoy Zach Braff, but I was also skeptical, since I disliked Garden State so much. In the end I liked this movie WAY better than I liked Garden State. Zach Braff plays Michael – a man who’s on the brink of turning 30, with a pregnant girlfriend, an awesome job, and great friends. So of course…he’s unhappy. He’s restless. He’s scared of the idea that his life might not hold any more surprises. Typical male thinking, right ladies? He’s so blissfully happy that he assumes something must be wrong. He meets a much younger woman and slowly inches his way towards cheating on the love of his life.

Jacinda Barrett plays Jenna – the pregnant girlfriend. She is fantastic. I liked her in Ladder 49, but she was amazing in this. Her performance in this film should earn her an award of some kind…not an Oscar because those are kind of pretentious…maybe an Awesome Woman Who Doesn’t Take Any Crap Award. (I should start those.) She plays the happy girlfriend very well, and slides so easily into the woman scorned that it’s almost scary. A little part of me wanted to stand up and applaud her in several scenes.

There are several side stories, of course. Jenna’s parents are having relationship problems, as are several of Michael’s friends. Basically, the story of life: relationships are tough. The main focus is on the reactions people have when the people they love hurt them. It’s really an interesting study on human interaction – the things people do to hurt the ones around them, and the ways they deal with the consequences.

Overall, I liked the movie. I’m not sure if I was supposed to hate Rachel Bilson’s “other woman” character, but I enjoyed hating her. She played such a perky little witch, I wanted to push her down a flight of stairs. I always enjoy Casey Affleck, even in small roles. It was refreshing to see Eric Christian Olsen on screen again, since I have no idea if his show “The Loop” was cancelled or not. I’d also like to see Blythe Danner play everyone’s mother – everyone on TV and movies. She’s wonderful. Gwynyth Paltrow (her real-life daughter) is a lucky woman. The one teensy problem I have with the movie is the ending. I can’t say anything to give it away, but I will say this…that’s not how I would have let things play out. But, Hollywood has its endings and I just have to accept that.

Final verdict: definitely check this one out. It’s entertaining and it’s got heart. It’s worth the time, and you just might learn something about human behavior.